Bottle seal cutter



Nov 23, 1954 w. K. KANNENBERG BOTTLE SEAL CUTTER Filed May 3, 1952 INVENTOR WILLIAM KKANNENBERG United States Patentfice 2,694,854 iatented, NW- 2 954 BOTTLE SEAL C TTER William K; Kannenberg, Milwaukee, Application May 3, 1952, Serial N0. .28'5,883

1 Claim. (Claw-911.5)

My invention appertains to; anropening; device fen-bob.

encountered by persons desiring to open the bottle, in locating an appropriate implement for cutting this seal.

Therefore, a primary object of my invention is to provide a bottle seal cutter which will not only be found useful by bartenders or other dispensers of bottle beverages in the performance of their duties of opening the bottles, but will also be found useful for home use in the kitchen, cocktail room and other like places where sealed bottles may be opened.

Another important object of my invention is to provide an improved bottle seal cutter which will effectively cut the seals from bottles whether or not the closure is of the cork type or screw cap.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved and novel seal cutter of the type set forth, whereby the device will automatically raise the cork slightly after the seal is broken and which may be utilized to pull the cork from the neck of the bottle if desired.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved article of the nature mentioned, which is reasonable to manufacture, easy to use, and which lends itself to various ornamentations for use with advertising displays.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings.

In which drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through my novel bottle seal cutter illustrated in position above a sealed bottle of the screw cap type and prior to its being lowered to the dotted line position where it can be moved to cut the bottle seal;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through my device similar to Figure l of the drawings but illustrating my bottle seal cutter in its operative seal cutting position;

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the bottle and device taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows but illustrating my bottle seal cutter moved to the dotted line position of Figure 1 and in full lines;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of my bottle seal cutter, a transverse section being taken through the neck of the bottle on the line 5-5 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows to illustrate more particularly the operative cutting position of my device. The position of the bottle illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings being indicated in dotted lines and the position of the bottle shown in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings being illustrated in the full section lines;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section through my provided with a. tough paper or plasticw or corkathissealmust; be; cut by utilizing. a sharp, knife or ,the, like. Ordinarily much difficulty.- is.

device similar? s to Figures. hand 2:; of= .the :.drawings, 2 :but.

illustrating my bottle-seal; cutter= inaitsroperative cutting positronforabreaking the .seaL around ..the :knu rled head of a sealed bottle..having a-cork;.clos.ure;. and

Figure .7 isa transyersesection- :taken on=.the.line 7+7. of-rfiigure ,6, and. looking in-the; direction: of: the, arrows.- Referr ng ,to -,.the.- drawings: in detail; wherein; similar.

reference characters designate corresponding [parts throughout ,.the; several viewsatthes letter A generally indicates; one type. of: my improved bottle; sealcutter; and

the same is stamped or cut from. a.single.sheet ofmetal of; the desired gage. and, includes a flat. bodynlfl having. depending converging side flanges ;11-.and-:12."..These flanges, inturn, carry, inwardly. directed=.converging; cutter.

knives=13 and,.14. Theflat bodynllhis. alsoliprovid'ed. 'Wllih, a. dependingv end. fiangeglswwhich; acts-.as atelosur'e. and stop for the converging CUItGITykzl'll-Yfififilfirr3l1di1418l11d:

also. SGBVESwtO protect .the .userufromzi.the1;sharpedges thereof.

The, opposite endyof the, fiat body-1th is provided with. an aperture device from a supporting; hook-onthe like. andzmayt also, when desired, be utilized. as a, finger: opening for rotating myddevice.

Intermediate 1 the; depending (end. flange 15. and: aperture 16 is an enlarged opening 17 having a relatively large.

ttrcuately shaped end 18 from which extends the converging sharp side edges 19 and 20. The enlarged opening 17 is formed by striking out the metal from the fiat body 10, however, as shown, a portion of the metal remains and is struck upwardly to form a guide finger 21 and an end stop 22.

The bottle B is of the usual type utilized for containing alcoholic beverages and includes a body 23 which is provided with a restricted neck 23'. In one type of bottle (illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive) the upper outer periphery of the neck 23' is provided with a screw thread upon which the screw cap 24 is fitted. Over the screw cap 24 and outer surface of the neck 23 of the bottle B, is the tough paper or plastic seal 25.

The lower converging cutter knives 13 and 14 are utilized to break the seal on the type of bottle employing a screw cap 24 and shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive. The converging sides or blades 19 and 20 of the enlarged opening 17 are utilized for breaking the seal on the type of bottle having a cork type closure illustrated by Fig ures 6 and 7 of the drawings.

In this latter type of bottle, the restricted neck 26 of the bottle B has smooth inner and outer surfaces and is closed by a cork 27. The cork, in turn, is usually provided with a knurled head 28 to facilitate its removal and over this knurled head 28 and the outer surface of the neck 26 is the usual seal 25'.

My improved bottle seal cutter operates as follows: Assuming that the bottle B is of the type having a screw cap closure 24, as disclosed in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings inclusive, my cutter is placed in a position over the bottle, as illustrated by the full lines in Figure 1 of the drawings and then moved downwardly in the direction of the arrows to the dotted line position. The upper portion of the neck 23' and cap 24 of the bottle B are now received between the converging cutter knives 13 and 14 as illustrated better in Figure 3 of the drawings and the cutting edges are spaced from the seal 25. It is to be particularly noted that in the screw cap type of bottle 23, the lower end of the closure or cap 24 is spaced from the enlarged neck portion so that a slight clearance is had from the lower periphery of the cap. My seal cutter A is now slid rearwardly and the converging cutting edges 13 and 14 will enter between the cap and the neck of the bottle to break the seal, as illustrated more particularly in Figures 2, 4, and 5 of the drawings. My device is then rotated either by placing a finger in the aperture 16 or by grasping the end in the hand. In this manner the seal is completely severed circumferentially and the cap 24 may be easily and readily removed.

In using my device A with the type of bottle employing the cork 27, having the knurled head 28, it is neces sary to place the knurled head in the enlarged opening 17, adjacent the arcuate end 18, as illustrated more par- 16. which. may be utilized. Ito. suspend the.

ticularly by the dotted lines in Figure 6 of the drawings. The reason for requiring the additional opening 17 is due to the fact that the thickness of the knurled head 28 of the cork 27 is less than the thickness of the screw cap 24 and the lower surface of the head 28 is usually flush with the upper surface of the neck of the bottle.

The blades 13, 14, 19 and 20 may be mechanically sharpened or beveled and kept in that condition by proper treatment. However, this is not necessary in that ordinarily, the gage of the metal is thin enough to provide an edge of sufficient sharpness to sever or break the seal.

It should also be noted that the width of the end stop 15 and the depending converging side flanges 11 and 12 are equal to the depth of the screw cap 24 and that the under surface of the flat body 10, adjacent the end 15, provides an upper rest upon which the top of the bottle slides as the seal is cut. The end stop 22, of course, is of the thickness of the knurled head 28 of the cork 27, and finger 21 acts as a stop and upper rest or guide for the bottle of the cork type.

Another important feature of construction is that the arcuate end 18 of the opening 17 extends considerably beyond the inner ends of the converging cutter knives 13 and 14 and that the cutter knives l9 and 20 converge toward one another at a much sharper angle. This is necessary so that when the neck of the bottle is in the full line position of Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings the slide cutter edges 13 and 14 will still be spaced from the bottle neck.

From the foregoing it is believed that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the following claim.

I claim:

As a new article of manufacture, a device formed from a single piece of material for severing sealed closures for the necks of bottles of the type carrying either a screw cap or a cork comprising a flat body plate, a pair of depending side flanges formed on the longitudinal edges of the body plate converging toward one end of the plate, a pair of inwardly directed converging cutting knives carried by the side flanges, said converging cutting knives being spaced apart to receive the neck of a bottle therebetween and spaced an exact distance from the body plate, and said body plate having its end remote from the end toward which the side flanges converge extended to form a manipulating handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,707,804 Haase Apr. 2, 1929 2,142,695 Mainzer Jan. 3, 1939 2,589,742 Smith Mar. 18, 1952 

